Escapement device for submarines



' Aug. 26, 1930. E. M. `s. coRLl-ss y f 1,773,807

EscAPnsn'r nvrca Fon sulumruss miba my. 3, 1928 Patented Ang-2.16, 19370 EDWIN uns. fconmss, oF BUFFA'Loy-NEW Yonx l f l nsonrnnrnn'r envien mit'sin'Biafra-ruime f A'ppnation nlanovemberre, 1192s. serial-N0".:s1'a`srz-if.f7l L This invention relates .to improvements in? submarines and. the` escapementy Adevices for Y s like'designed to permit the escape of theoccu "ants'in'the eventfthe lraft-is, disablegd'while y -su merged.

e .One of its objects'is `the vprovision of asir'n-l ple and efficient escapcment device of thisv character by which the occupants ofrthe disabled vessel may Areadily effect Vtheir fown esifi-capersv f e Affurthe'r objectofthe invention'is to 'providea lifesaving device for submerged 'vesselsjincluding inginovel means controllable from'within the -same for e'tfecting its release fromrthe vessel.r n v the float for securely Vfastening 'thedoor in place. y Vdoor 24 whenopened, a'lateral guidetrack 'In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1 isafragmentary sect' on 'viewof a vessel showing `my improved escapement device installed therein. Figure y2 an enl2o larged horizontal 'section thereof 'taken on line 2-2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified `form of the buoyant mein-` ber ortiloat.

ySimilar characters of lreference*indicate 525' corresponding parts'throughoutfthe several e a s v f signaling devices may be ejected, ,if ,desircdl views.

By'waypv` eiram'plep'my 'invention has f'been v'shown as installed in one ofthe ycompartments of a submarine, 10findicating thedeck i and 11 the'loottom lwall ofthe compartment Built into the ylatter and extending from lthel deck {to its bottom wall Vislany upright cylin-Y drical'tube or tank '12closed at its lower vend 1 and having an` opening 13 at lits vupper end sure '14 beingv in the lform of a verticallyswinging lhatch cover adapted yto be opened through the medium of acable 16 connected to a'windlass drum 17.mounted in aconvenient 40A placewithin the y submarinecompartmentV This hatch' cover is only open when 'the 'subis disabled Aand when the occupants l. their, escape'. .nits

side wall adjacent its upper end, the tank 12 has anopening 18 normally closed. and sealedV 19 having suitable by whichthe cover may. bef

marine` thereof desire to effectv water-tight by a cover' latches 20 thereon vremoved or locked from either within Aorfout'- side of the tank.

De `Conterwd 'Within fh@ 'ffink 12" 'which lids' a buoyant member or loathav 7 normally4 closed by'closures 14 and 15 theclof l the Afloat-open'ing 23j`to `be readily brought" l into 'line' with vthe vtai'1k-opening Ajs shown.

aijlaptefd:'tobejlilledwith1 waterefisa buoyant ,I r s' *memberorfloat 21 which ispreferably of-hol- `low cylindrical constructionl with rounded d ends. andof asize to accommodate one vor more persons'.` This oatis movable into and ont ofthe tank through lthe opening 13 of the latter and is guided into place 'by'suitablebrackets 222' secured/to theinner side walls ofsaid tank. vIn its sidewall adjacentits upper end',- the loatlhasa'n vopening 23 in line with the ,tank-opening and normally closed water-l tightby ja door or cover 24 preferably'having i inwardlylbeveled edges to seat snugly in its correspondingly beveled opening and carrying latches V25 operable `from either sider of For'the' purpose of supporting the axport'hdlef? through which the occupante may observe their position and through which "Revolvably lmounted on lthe `upper end of .the oat 2.1 is `the closure orfvalve member 'nifgk 15-which-'is kadapted toengage a tapered seat f- 28,;iorrned 4in the lower (portion, of the tankopeni'nglB. This'valve-'clos'ure prevents leakage. of'water intol the oat "when the'hatch cover or Aclosur ofthe float and its closurelandfthereby enable infli-gure` 1, the valve-closure is j ournaled on 'astein "29 rising centrallylfrom the upper end ingtlirough`its w'all'where it discharges into',

the' tank 12: A lvalve 33 interposed inthis n u v e ,14 isI opened and Lit lfreer to ,turn-axially ltoperm'it a relative movement ssi' ypipejserves;5to control the passage of water f from the' sfeafinto the tank. When the occupant of thefloa'tfis ready 'tomake his escapelhe opens'jthevalve 33, causing the water .from

the sea to rush into the tank so that the pressure of the water on either side of the valveclosure 15 is equalized and the float is free to make its egress from the tank To assist the initial opening of the valveclosure 15 in eifecting the escapement of the float from the tank, a lift screw 34 is fitted centrally in the lower end of the float and extendsthrough the same, terminating at its lower end in a head 35 engaging the bottom Wall of the tank, as seen in Figure 1. The upper or inner end of this screw engages a threaded collar 36 secured` to the platform 37 of the float, and a hand wheel 38 is provided for enabling the occupants to turn the screw. By turning the latter to move down- Wardly, aplifting elfort is transmitted to the float which in tura lifts its valve-closure olf the seat 28. 7

The unseating of the hatch coverlt is likewise adapted to be assisted by screw pressure, and for this purpose a screw 39 is provided which is threaded into the deck 10 of the craft and bears at its upper end against the under side of the hat-ch cover at a point opposite its hinged end. The lower end of the screw has a hand Wheel 40 thereon by which the Occupants of the disabled submarine may effect its operation. It is to be u l 'et d, the event of the craft becoming disabled or sunk, the hatch cover is opened first and is kept open during the life saving operations, there being no'occasion to close it after once opening it.

In order to hold the float 21 captive after its leaving the tank 12 and. enable it to be drawn back into the latter to effect, by suc cessive operations, the rescue of all the occupants of the craft, a cable 41 is employed which is connected at one end, by a bail 42 with the lower end of the lift-screw 34 or other suitable part of the float, while its other end is joined to a wi dless drum et?) dispo.' fl alongside the lower end of the tank. In passing from the screw to the windlass drum, the cable passes through a packing glandla in the tank.

Draining of the tank 12, which must be done after returning the float 21 thereto after each rescue operation so as to enable the remaining occupants to be transferred from the submarine-compartment t0 the float through the alining openings 13 and y23, `is accomplished by means of a drain cock 45 fitted in the lower end of the tank and discharging into a suitable compartment for receiving it or pumped directly back into the sea.

As a supplementary means for filling the tank 12 with sea water when ready to discharge `the float therefrom, a pipe 46 is connected at one end to the submarine-deck 10 and at its other end to the tank, a valve 47 being interposed therein to control it.

The passage 31 formed in the stem 29 of the iloat may serve as a means for connecting a compressed air line thereto for the purpose of assisting in the raising of the disabled craft.

If desired, the float may be double-walled, as shown at 48 in Figure 3, the resulting compartment 49 between the walls being adapted to receive compressed air to increase its buoyancy.

The operation of the improved escapement means is as .follows Assume that a submarine equipped with the invention has become disabled and has sunk, andy the tank l2 te be empty. The hatch door 14 is iirst opened through the medium of the screw 39 and windlassing cable 16.V The covers 19 and 2a of the tank. andfloat, respectively, are then opened and one or more occupants of the craft enter the float through the alining openings 13 and 23, closing the covers behind them. Thereupon the sea water is allowed to enter the tank through the valve-controlled oassae'e 31 and ine 32 and the lift-screw 34 is actuated to partially elevate the float and lift its valve 15 olf the seat 2S. As the water enters the tank, the iioat is gradually buoye-l up and discharged from the latter, the float rising to the surface of the water where the occupants may signal their distress or if their position permits it, effect their own safety,after which the float is drawn back into the tank by means of the cable 'll, its valve closure 1.5 sealing the tank at its upper end. The tank is then drained and the same steps as above enumerated are then carried on to eliect the saving of the other occupants.

lVhile manifestly simple and compact in construction, this 4device can be readily installed on existing submarines and other craft Without materially altering their construction, andv it ali-orde the ready escape of all the occupants of the craft.

.I` claim as my invention 2-4 y Y 1. An escapement device for submarine craft and the like, comprising a chamber arranged within the craft and having openings to the exterior and interior of the latter, a buoyant occupantreceiving member disposed within said chamber and having a hollow' stem projecting upwardly from its top side, the upper end of lthe stem-passage eing adapted vfor communication with the sea water, a valve-closure applied to said stem for normally engaging the opening in said chamber leading'. to the exterior of the craft, said buoyant member having an opening therein in line with the opening leading to theinterior of the craft, closures for said last-named openings, and a valved-pipe contained within the buoyant member and connected at one end with the stem-passage and communicating at its other end with said chamber.

2.*An escapement device for submarine craft and the like, comprising aichamberarranged within the craft and having openings` to the exterior and interior yof the latter, the

opening leading to the exterioriof the craft including a downwardly-tapering, seat, a buoyant occupant-receiving member disposed withinv said chamber and having an opening thereinadapted to bealinedwith the opening leading tothe interior Vof the craft, a valve-closure'revolvably mounted at [the upper 'end of'saidmember and normallyl l. engaging said tapered'seat, closures. applied ranged within the craft and having openings to the exterior and interior of the latter, the opening leading to the exterior of the craft including a downwardly-tapering seat, a buoyant occupant-receiving member disposed Within said chamber and having an opening therein 4adapted to be alined with the opening leading tothe interior of the craft, a valve-closure revolvably mounted at the upper end of said member and normally engaging said tapered seat, closures applied to the alining openings of said chamber and said buoyant member, -a lift-screw yapplied to the lower end of the latter and-normally f abutting at its lower end against the bottoml of the chamber to effect the initial unseating of the valve-closure from its seat, and means operable from within the buoyant member for controlling the admission of sea water to the chamber to effect the floating of said member therefrom.

4. An escapement device for submarine craft and thelike, comprising a chamber'arranged within the craft and having openings y to the exterior and interior of the latter, the

i y5.,*Arn'` escap'ement 'device for submarine craftand the like, comprising a chamber arranged within the craft and having openingsV to theexte'rior and interior, thereof, theopen ing leadingto the exterior of the craft including a downwardly-tapering valve seat, a buoyant occupant-*receiving member disposed f within said chamber and having ran opening therein adapted to be alined with theopenleading'to the interiorof the craft, a` hatch'cover applied to said exterior opening,

ing

a Winding' drum including a .cable operatively connected to said hatch cover for opening it,-screwpressure means for effecting the initial opening 'of the hatch cover, a valve.

closure revolvably mounted at the upper end y of thebuoyant member and normally Vengaging said-tapered seat, said buoyant member beingfree to revolve within its chamber when the valve-closure is seated to aline its opening with that of the interior opening of said chamber, closures applied to .said alining openings, a lift-screw applied to the lower end of thev buoyant member and normally abutting at its lower end against the bottom of the chamber toeffect the initial unseating of the valve-closurefrom its seat, means operable from lwithin thel buoyant member for controlling' the admission of `water to the chamber to veffect the floating of said member therefrom, and a captivev cable connected to` said lift-screw. n y

- l EDWIN M.v S. CORLISS.

i los openingleading to the exterior of the craft including ay downwardly-tapering seat, a buoyant occupant-receiving member disposed within said chamber and having an opening thereinadapted to be' alined with the open# ing leading to the interior of the craft, al

valve-closure revolvably mounted at the up per end of said member and normally engagfj ingA said tapered seat, closures applied to thealining openingsfof'said chamber and saidl buoyant member, a lift-screw applied to the lower end of the latter and normally abutting at its lower end against the bottom of the chamber to effect the initial uns'eating n of the valve-closure from itsseat,`means op,-

erable from withinthefbuoyant member for controlling the admission of sea water to the v chamber to effect the oating of said member therefrom, and a captive cable connected to said lift-screw.l 

